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JAFFREY, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A Manchester woman hiking on Mount Monadnock called for help Wednesday evening after heavy fog and darkness made it difficult to follow the trail during her descent, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
Conservation officers were notified just before 9 p.m. Thursday that a hiker on the White Dot Trail in Monadnock State Park needed assistance about 1 and a quarter miles from the trailhead, the release said.
The hiker, identified as 44-year-old Rachel Sahagun of Manchester, had already reached the summit and was heading back down when worsening visibility caused her to become disoriented, according to the release. Unable to clearly see the trail, she decided to contact rescuers for assistance.
A response team made up of a conservation officer and a volunteer from the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team began hiking up the White Dot Trail around 10:15 p.m., the news release said.
Before rescuers reached her location, weather conditions improved enough for Sahagun to continue descending on her own. She contacted the rescue team again at approximately 10:28 p.m. while nearing the trailhead, according to the release. Sahagun and rescuers arrived back at the trailhead around 10:45 p.m., and she declined medical treatment.
Fish and Game officials said Sahagun was an experienced hiker who had prepared appropriately for the outing by carrying extra food, water and an additional light source in anticipation of hiking after dark.
The agency also reminded hikers to carry essential safety gear and encouraged outdoor enthusiasts to support rescue operations by purchasing a Hike Safe card, according to the release.